Pete Dowson

Maybe one of the files defining the control assignments is corrupt? Only insofar as it reads the list of controls from a table embedded in that DLL, so that it can list those assignable in the Button and Keys assignments drop-down. That's done only once, at the initialisation of FSX, and cannot cause a crash. If the table is incorrect or inaccessible the only symptom you get is no FS controls assignable (in a registered version), and a warning message in the FSUIPC4.LOG. I did recently post a version 4.206 in a different thread which also accesses CONTROLS.DLL in order to operate the controls timer, to allow control acceleration to be suppressed on panels which send too many. But there's no other access except for the table read in 4.20. A corrupt assignments table seems to be the most likely. On WindowsXP, find the file(s) in C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX - the same folder as your FSX.CFG file. Delete the files in the Controls subfolder and let FSX build them again. Regards Pete

Actually corrupt or unsupported texture files are one of the biggest causes of crashes in FSX. No, no way. FSUIPC is almost exclusively now A SimConnect client. There is no known way it can cause crashes. Possibly SimConnect is corrupt and is causing crashes, but that is really very unlikely. The fact that you say this points much more towards a scenery or texture problem than anything else. Maybe this GEX package was developed before Acceleration/SP2 was available? There are many changes in SP2, in all these areas -- scenery, textures, panels. It really does sound like an incompatibility with that product, especially if it was okay with FSX + SP1. I'd check on their support site if I were you. Regards Pete

You don't "register" a specific version, but 3.xxx (or 4.xxx for FSX). 3.70 is pretty old and is not supported. You should be on 3.75 at least. There's a later one still available in the "Other Downloads" announcement above. Please update. There's nothing really accomplished by "reinstalling" FSUIPC. That whole process would be simply one of deleting the FSUIPC.DLL module and putting it back again. That accomplishes nothing, as you will realise. The only thing possibly akin to "reinstalling" is to delete the FSUIPC.INI file, before running FS. That will reset everything in FSUIPC to initial defaults. Can you give me an example of what messages you are getting displayed which you think should be suppressed, please? Also, try it without the FSUIPC.KEY file in the Modules folder, just in case it is a problem with the Registration. Regards Pete

Ah, yes. I know about Richard Lovett's program. It uses FSUIPC, but you don't need to pay for it. It works with an unregistered copy. Regards Pete

Odd. Why would you want transparent 2D panels anyway? They certainly don't come set like that, but totally opaque. Anyway, glad you got it sorted. Regards Pete

Because unless you are going to only assign the axes in FSUIPC using "RAW" mode (totally not recommended except for software-controlled axes like those from EPIC), the data coming through from Windows to FS and/or FSUIPC is determined 100% by the drivers for the joysticks -- and they are configured, calibrated and tested in Windows Game Controllers applet. That is why Windows provides this, to give access to the settings for each connected joystick. If the settings and calibration are screwed up "at source" then FS and FSUIPC have bad data to work with in the first place and life gets very difficult trying to "fix" the results to anyone's satisfaction. Yes, unless you have something like a PFC digital control system through which all are connected. PFC digital systems don't use Windows drivers at all, but my own PFC driver (PFC.DLL for FS9 or PFCFSX.DLL for FSX). So far you've not mentions any PFC system, only a presumably direct-connected yoke. If you use my PFC driver then you calibrate everything in that, under FS, following the documentation provided. FSUIPC doesn't come into it, but it is used by the PFC driver. Regards Pete

Okay. And are the button values and joystick values related to 5 devices you actually have connected? Are there 5 joysticks listed by Game controllers and FS too? Do the button values only change when buttons are being actively pressed or released? Because it sounds to me like one of the button inputs is activating continuously. Not sure what you mean by "unless the device list doesn't change". What device list and why would it keep changing? May be. Possibly the driver for one of the 5 joystick devices you have connected is not compatible. Regards Pete

Well, I can only think you have something installed which is actively using FSUIPC, because by default, with a complete default INI, FSUIPC does nothing. It is not "active" but "passive", simply doing client programs' (including other DLLs' and maybe add-on Gauges') bidding. Please enable Event logging in FSUIPC (Logging tab, Check both axis and non-axis events). When if happens, look in the Log. Let me see it too please. Regards Pete

Yes, but pedals assigned to rudder shouldn't cause panning of the view at all. Or are you talking about only in slew mode? If so, then all you need is either to calibrate with a larger null centre zone, or assign them directly to rudder only in FSUIPC's axis assignments (using the "direct to FSUIPC" option) -- they won't operate in slew mode at all then. Now I'm confused. You said earlier that without FSUIPC installed it was okay. Now you say FSUIPC is irrelevant, you have the problem in any case? Yes, simply delete the INI file before running FS. ALL (i.e. every single one) of your settings are kept in that one file. That only sets normal defaults for the many assorted options. It doesn't touch button programming, axis assignment or calibration. I'd get shot if I made it do that! ;-) Of course not, because FSUIPC.DLL is merely the program. It doesn't change except when I make an updated version. It can store none of your data. All of your settings go in the INI file. Many programs have INI or CFG files, they are almost universally used to store settings. You surely must have come across this notion before? FS itself uses CFG files, for instance. Regards Pete

Version ".6xxxx" of what? I don't have anything like that. What does a middle mouse button do? I have never used it and certainly don't program for it. Maybe it does something in FS? Have you checked the help? FSUI? Do you mena FSUIPC? FSUIPC never actively asks for a key, at all. No. Please review the User Guide supplied in the FSUIPC ZIP. It tells you everything you need to know about what you get. There was a link where you downloaded FSUIPC from, there are links in the provvided User Guide, and there are links in the Announcements above. The ZIP contains FSUIPC, which you must have known already, otherwise how did you get it. FSUIPC is supplied, with all the documentation you need, in a ZIP. ZIPs are compressed files used for such things. You must have seen them before? No. It contains no such facility. Pete

Easiest is simply to delete your FSUIPC.INI file. It sounds like you've assigned pedals for panning and have them badly calibrated. Regards Pete

First, please find the key marked "Caps Lock" and turn it off. Second, could you tell me what, exactly, is "GRAYED OUT"? What does it say in the top left corner as well? And what version are you trying? Third, when you say you "TRIED ADMIN RIGHTS", what do you mean? Did you follow the instructions in the User Guide and use the right-click "Run As" facility when starting FSX? Regards Pete

Ah, good! I'll make it available in the FSX Downloads announcement above, then. Thanks for letting me know so quickly! Regards Pete

Okay, here it is, 4.206. Please try the "Fix control Acceleration" option and let me know. It should work with the original FSX release, SP1 and SP2/Acceleration, but as I say I've no way of testing. Regards Pete FSUIPC4206.zip

Actually, shortly after my last reply I had a sudden stroke of inspiration and tried a different way to find the relevant timer in CONTROLS.DLL. I think I've found it, so I'm making a new interim version of FSUIPC4 (version 4.206) for testing. I'll append it here later today. I've no way of testing it properly because I've found nothing which causes the problem. Perhaps you and Ed can test it for me and let me know? Regards Pete

So all that means is that you didn't need to try to use FSUIPC in the first place. Why didn't you use GoFlight's software to start with? Deleting your erroneous parameters from the INI file would have accomplished the same thing. The trouble with providing tools with powerful and versatile facilities is that if you misuse them you can get powerful and versatile errors! The joystick and axis parts of the INI file are 100% controlled by what YOU do in the dialogues. FSUIPC doesn't "make stuff up". You obviously made rather a mess of it and didn't know how to undo it. The easiest way then is simply to delete the INI file and start again. You'd need to explain exactly what you meant by "clearing entries", as there is no option labelled that in FSUIPC except when clearing individual fields in order to enter new values. Calibrations are cancelled by pressing the Reset button. Please explain what exactly you think is wrong. These facilities have been in continuous use now for many years (about 5 for the axis assignments and 8 for the calibrations) and this is the first time anyone has come up with such assumptions and accusations. I need to know what you did and what you thought you were doing! Again, this phrase "clearing all ...". What on Earth do you mean? I'm sure you are making assumptions which simply are not correct! If we are going to get to the bottom of this I really must know the truth, please! And please clearly distinguish "axis assignments" from "joystick calibrations". You can use them independently or together. They do not have to be related. Changing things in one doesn't necessarily affect anything in the other. That's okay. But what you say is only partly true. Of course it is true that deleting the INI file then everything FSUIPC was told to do is nullified. But it is equally true that (a) FSUIPC does not interfere in any way with anything unless explicitly told to, and (b) anything it is told to do, through the dialogue, can be undone, through the dialogue. You are implying or even overtly stating that these latter two points aren't true, and that is my objection! Pete

Merely removing the DLL and restoring it changes nothing. All your settings will still be in the FSUIPC4.INI file. There was never any need to remove FSUIPC4. If you cannot sort out your assignments and calibrations in FSUIPC, or made a mess, just delete the FSUIPC4.INI file. That will cause everything in FSUIPC4 to revert to defaults. Nothing about your installation is ever stored in the DLL, which is just a program binary! Of course. See above! PFC throttle quadrants are handled by PFCFSX.DLL, not by FSUIPC. That is a completely different thing. No, sorry. That is nonsense as you just proved to yourself. It was your own bad settings in the INI file. FSUIPC never ever makes any settings at all on its own. They are all made by YOU, the user!!! The joystick calibration feature does NOT assign anything. You assign things either in FSX, or in FSUIPC's "axis assignments" facility. It seems you made use of the latter without knowing what you were doing or reading the documentation. :-( Please discuss these things before making completely wild and incorrect accusations and providing the wrong advice to people!! :evil: :evil: :evil: Pete

Why are you doing that? I asked you to follow the directions to obtain a SimConnect Log, so that we can see what might be going on! Unless you know what you are doing, deleting protected System files under Vista is quite difficult. Having "Admin" rights gives you very little power. Even "elevated admin" rights (which installers need, for example) may not do it. But let's not jump the gun. We don't need to delete anything yet. we are still trying to find out what is wrong, hence the need for that Log. No. Both have the same version of SimConnect. SP1 installs another version, and Acceleration/SP2 installs a third. This is a "side-by-side" library system. Windows gathers as many versions as there are, and programs written to different versions each use the one they know about. For instance FSUIPC 4.0x only knows about the first. FSUIPC 4.1x can use the SP1 version, and FSUIPC 4.2x can use the Acceleration/SP2 version. But I made them all backward compatible so that 4.2x can still work without SP2 or SP1. However, in order for it to be loaded in the first place, it always needs the first version installed. I don't want to see the DLL files!! They are binary library files installed by FSX and will be the same here. I need to see the SimConnect LOG file (it will be a TEXT file) which will be generated by running FSX after you have prepared that little text file as given in the instructions in the "FSX Help" Announcement! Regards Pete

You don't "buy" a specific version 4.xx. You just buy FSUIPC4, then, hopefully, keep it up to date. ;-) The FSUIPC4 package from http://www.schiratti.com/dowson comes with an installer which does it for you. In that case you have another joystick activated in FSX which is interfering. Go into FSX's Options-controls-Assignments and disable all your other joysticks. Regards Pete

:oops: indeed! Pete

The latest release of FSUIPC4 is 4.20, not 4.16. 4.16 is not supported. Please see the List of current supported versions in the Announcements above. PFC do not usually release up to date versions of PFCFSX.DLL -- try the version (4.30) from http://www.schiratti.com/dowson , where you can also find FSUIPC 4.20. By "taps" do you mean "throttles" or what? I'm not familiar with that term in aviation I'm afraid. If you do mean throttles, are you saying the throttles just don't wpork. Have you calibrated them in PFCFSX at all? What INI file are you talking about? If you've claibrated in PFCFSX and delete its INI you will lose all your calibrations. You should be able to simply copy over your PFC.INI file from FS9 if you used it there, and rename it to PFCFSX.INI. Oh. Hi! ;-) Regards Pete

SP1 is included in Acceleration in any case. And, yes, the version of SimConnect installed by Acceleration is better. It is much much more efficient (faster) and uses Named Pipes instead of TCP/IP, thus avoiding all the problems with firewalls and security programs. Pretty much all of the known SimConnect problems are actually fixed with Acceleration/SP2's version. Unfortunately it isn't SimConnect which is the problem. It's the horrendously complex installation / deinstallation process. SimConnect is only one component to suffer -- check all the other non-SimConnect related problems folks are having. I also think there are problems in the Windows Side-by-side library system. It seems to be very critical exactly how things are installed and de-installed, and interruptions, accidents, misreads, whatever, get it all corrupted. I've know several cases where a disk reformat and windows re-install was the quickest route to resolution! :-( Well, the Log from FSUIPC is incomplete. I've never seen one finish there unless FSX crashed immediately. And the Log from SimConnect couldn't possibly be the one related to the FSUIPC Log, as it ALWAYS shows the loading of DLLs, and most certainly FSUIPC was loaded else it cannot make a Log. They are both fragments, just the first few lines. But the SimConnect one crashes earlier or it isn't the right one, as it doesn't even show FSUIPC being loaded, as I said. That looks okay. The FSUIPC4 install log may have been useful. Remove FSUIPC4.DLL, run the 4.20 installer again, then copy in 4.205 to get back up to date. Please try again to get FSUIPC and SimConnect logs. I really cannot believe those are correct. I've never seen any such short fragments unless everything crashed. Regards Pete

There are multiple control facilities provided in FSUIPC. You can actually assign both in FSUIPC's axis assignments, but I would be concerned that they may interfere which one another unless they are very stable indeed. The specific facilities for multiple controls depend upon using FS axis controls, rather than "direct to FSUIPC" assignment, and assigning the 2nd set to a different otherwise unused set of FS controls. For instance the first would have Aileron and Elevator as normal, but the second might be Mixture 2 and Mixture 3. You have to look up the control numbers for those (in the Controls Lists I provide) and edit parameters in the FSUIPC INI file to tell FSUIPC that these controls are for the second set. Doing it this way solves the interference problems. FSUIPC takes the maximum deflection of the two controls and ignores the other. You want to try and achieve identical calibration in Windows Game Controllers first, as you can only calibrate one of the pair in FSUIPC. If they are wildly different there could be some odd problems. There are sections about all this in the documentation I provide. Regards Pete

Thanks! Pete

Find the Modules folder in FSX and delete FSUIPC4.DLL. If you only want to do this to stop it reading your joystick, it would make more sense just to delete the FSUIPC4.INI file, as I said. It contains whatever settings you made. without it, FSUIPC4 will generate a new default one, and by default it doesn't touch any joysticks at all. Both mixture and flaps are standard axes in FSUIPC4. You calibrate them in the Joystick Calibrations section. All the calibration stuff is described, with pictures, in the User Guide. There are no "fscontrol options" to worry about. You seem to be a little mixed up here and making it much more complicated than it is. Regards Pete